STAFF COMPLIANCE WITH INFECTION-CONTROL PRACTICES - APPLICATION OF BEHAVIORAL-SCIENCES

Microbiology and epidemiology have made significant contributions to t he field of Infection Control. Most nosocomial infections which can be prevented are related to inappropriate patient care practices. Howeve r, it is extremely difficult to implement new infection control polici es. To achieve staff compliance, infection control should learn from t he behavioural sciences. Three related fields have been shown to be he lpful in this respect: social psychology, consumer behaviour and organ izational behaviour. Basic concepts from all three fields can be appli ed to the work of infection control for achieving staff compliance; th e use of social power and the reasoned action model from the field of social psychology; the use of participatory decision-making from organ izational behaviour; and the opinion leaders from consumer behaviour.